The Prose & Verse of The Lotus Sutra

Chapter 25
The Universal Door of the Bodhisattva
Observing the Sounds of the World

Page 7

B. The second question is in three parts:

In asking about how the Bodhisattva travels in the Saha World¹, there is the question about the body
In asking about how the Bodhisattva teaches, there is the question about the mouth
In asking about how the Bodhisattva uses ways & means, there is the question about the thinking mind.

These are the provisions of the noble person, the three mysteries² that adapt to the capacities of living beings and respond appropriately.

The Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Will spoke to the Buddha saying:
"World Honored One:
*   How does the Bodhisattva Observing the Sounds of the World travel in the Saha World?
*   How is the Dharma taught to living beings?
*   What are the ways and means that are used?"

The Buddha's answer is also in three parts:

The specific answer
The general answer
Encouraging offering of service

A. First, there is the specific answer:

The Buddha addressed the Bodhisattva Inexhaustible Will:
Good son:

If there is a nation of living beings that needs a response from a Buddha's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest in the life of a Buddha³ to teach the Dharma
If they need a response from a Pratyekabuddha's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Pratyekabuddha⁴ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from a Sravaka's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Sravaka⁵ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from King Brahma's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of King Brahma⁶ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from Sakra Devendra's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of Sakra Devendra⁷ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from Isvara's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of Isvara⁸ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from Mahesvara's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of Mahesvara⁹ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from a Great General's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Great General¹⁰ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from Vaisravana's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of Vaisravana¹¹ to teach the Dharma
If they need a response from a Small King's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a King¹² to teach the Dharma
If they need a response from an elder's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of an Elder to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from a scholar's in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Scholar to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from a civic leader's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Civic Leader to teach the Dharma
If they need a response from a Brahman's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Brahman¹³ to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from the life of a monk, a nun, a layman or a laywoman in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Monk, a Nun, a Layman or a Laywoman to teach the Dharma.
If, in order to attain deliverance, they need a response from the life of the Wife of an Elder, the Wife of a Scholar, the Wife of a Civic Leader or the Wife of a Brahman, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a wife to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from a boy of a girl's life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Boy or a Girl to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from the life of a God, a Dragon, a Yaksa, a Gandharva, an Asura, a Garuda, a Kinnara, or a Mahoraga¹⁴, be they human or not human, in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of one of these to teach the Dharma.
If they need a response from a vajra-wielding spirit life in order to attain deliverance, then the Bodhisattva will manifest the life of a Vajra-Wielding Spirit¹⁵ to teach the Dharma."

The Response is the answer to the question about the Ways & Means of the Thinking Mind
The Manifesting of the Life is the answer to the question about Traveling of the Body
The Teaching of the Dharma is their answer to the question about the Work of the Mouth

In all there are thirty-three lives and nineteen teachings of the Dharma¹⁶.

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Footnotes:

1. Saha World: The Threefold Realm of mortal existence

2. The Three Mysteries: The use of the body, mouth & thinking mind by the Bodhisattva as a means to attain enlightenment.

3. The Buddha: The Bodhisattva is the cause and the Buddha is the effect, and they manifest as each other.

4. Pratyekabuddha: The spiritually self-awakened. See The Two Vehicles

5. Sravaka: The spiritual disciple. See The Two Vehicles

6. King Brahma:  Lord of the Religious World; Prayer, Worship & Meditation; See the 25 states of existence

7. Sakra Devendra: Lord of the Secular World; Master of the Self; See the 25 States of Existence and the 33 Gods

8. Isvara: The God of Mastery - Lord of the Sunirmita Heaven, where all desires are mastered. See the 25 States of Existence and the Map of Heaven.

9. Mahesvara: The Greater God of Mastery - Lord of the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, where there is mastery over the desires of others. See the 25 States of Existence and the Map of Heaven.

10. Great General: The Generals of Heaven, who are ever fighting the asuras and lower spiritual destinies to protect heaven. See the Four Heavenly Kings

11. Vaisravana: Also known as Kubera or Kuvera, the God of Wealth. One of the Four Heavenly Kings

12. King: Rulers of the human realm who make and enforce the their laws; government

13. Brahman: A priest

14. A God (Deva), a Dragon (Naga), a Yaksa, a Gandharva, an Asura, a Garuda, a Kinnara, or a Mahoraga: Various spiritual beings that are part of human nature, and but share in the other spiritual qualities that are found in nature. See The Eight Groups

15. Vajra-Wielding Spirit: (Vajrapani or Vajradhara) Spiritual beings that wield the thunderbolt (S. Vajra), the symbol of hardness, indestructibility and power in all its forms - but especially spiritual power. Indra (Sakra Devendra) was the original symbol of the master of power. Manjusri is symbolized as a wielder of the vajra as the possessor of the power of spiritual wisdom. Lesser Vajrapani (as referred to here) are fierce and terrifying spiritual beings.

16. The Thirty Three Lives and Nineteen Teachings: There is the elucidation of the thirty-three manifestations of the Bodhisattva Observing the Sounds of the World, the bodies that are seen (listed in italics), and the nineteen different forms of teaching from the Bodhisattva Observing the Sounds of the World that are heard from the mouth (listed by the nineteen bullets above). There are many other lists of manifestations in other Sutras, for example see Chih-I's treatment of the Bodhisattva's manifestations in Volume 2 of The Great Calm-Observation (C. Mo-Ho Chih-Kuan, J. Maka Shikan). Also see Nichiren's interpretation of the thirty-three manifestations in The Oral Transmission of the Hidden Meaning (J. Ongi Kuden)

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